Record-Breaking Thread

Monday - After an afternoon of golf on CBS and a really good meal at Bravo Cucina Italiani, I rediscovered a very well done little Sci-Fi gem on Amazon Prime: The Man From Earth. This isn't your spaceships whizzing, laser guns blasting S/F. It's way more cerebral and thought-provoking. If you don't have Amazon Prime, it's also out on YouTube for free, if you know where to look ... and I happen to think it's worth 90-some-odd minutes of your time.

1.) Find a friend--or Turo in a pinch--with a decent car if you don't have one and stop by any Big Three dealership that has a decent number of muscle cars in stock.

2.) Say you're interested in the [insert ZL1/Demon/Shelby] but know it's out of your price range. Add that you've heard the [V8 Camaro/Challenger/Mustang] with the [stick or automatic, your choice] delivers much the same performance, only without the constant threat of bankruptcy/arrest.

3.) Have a ball "narrowing down which one you'd want" as you drive as many as they'll let you. [They usually don't even go with.]

4.) Say you have a few other cars on your list, but now that you've driven [blank], you can compare apples-to-apples.

5.) Leave a fake but plausible phone number/email address to get out of the building.

6.) Repeat as necessary...

[Extra points for "trading up" by, say, test-driving a Mustang 5.0 to the Dodge dealer and say you're thinking of adding a Hellcat to your collection. The world is yours, and the fuel bill is all theirs. Just keep an eye on the time so they don't report the first car stolen...]

Yup. Pricier, but if they're near you, far less icky than setting foot on a new-car lot can be. Depends on how much your time is worth, because they are entitled to at least take a few runs at you.

I could spell out a Top 10 list of the answers you should have loaded in advance, but, well, I'm pretty sure everyone here could, too.

[OK, here's one: When they ask you when you're thinking of buying, say "In the next few weeks." It's "close enough" that they'll want to give you whatever they can to get your business on the "board," but vague enough that it's open-ended. Like I said: Plausible phone number or email. NOT your ACTUAL information. There's far less hassle they can cause you if all they have is a Xerox copy of your driver's license...]

I was listening to "American Pie" with my daughter a couple of weeks ago, and realized that while I was "getting" some of the 1960's references, much was going over my head (I was born in '61). So I just read up on it, and it seems like much of it is up to interpretation still. But there are many interpretations that align enough to start making some sense. Now I at least have some understanding as to who the Jester and King & Queen are...those always had me wondering. And the football "players" are supposedly protesters, which makes a lot of sense in the grander scheme of the song.

Don McLean went to my high school (years before I did) and was on the golf team. When American Pie ran up the charts I found the old yearbook from his graduation year. Not a lot of info about him but hadn't thought of him as a golfer. :-)

Tuesday - Having seen The Man From Earth on Sunday, it was only logical that I'd want to catch its sequel, The Man From Earth: Holocene yesterday. I had my doubts, as the reviews were not very positive, yet I was actually very pleasantly surprised.

Happy 50th Birthday to the Apollo 11 Launch today. One of the few times that I can look back and remember exactly what I was doing and where I was. And a bonus that I can say that my Dad was one of the main Quality Control testers for the Electronics of that program.

I absolutely remember where I was. My family had spent the morning on a tour of the Louvre in Paris. After lunch somewhere on the Champs-Elysees, I walked back to our hotel because I Was DETERMINED To Watch The Launch! I think I got back to our room at around T Minus 5 Minutes, plenty of time to watch the Saturn V lift off into the open Florida skies.

The hell of it is, because of the lack of a television at our base pied a terre in Rome, I never saw the landing or "one small step." To this day, that pisses me off.

Read this the other day and was kind of surprised: "The compact Tesla Model 3 is not only the most popular electric vehicle in the industry, over the first six months of 2019 the automaker delivered more of them to customers than all the other EVs sold in the U.S. put together. According to data compiled by the website InsideEV's.com, 67,650 Model 3s were sold from January through June." Forbes

I knew the intention was there for Tesla to ramp up production of the Model 3 and make it more of a mainstream player, just didn't know they were essentially there already.

"Tesla aims to make 10,000 Model 3 cars per week in 2019. Now...Tesla is finally making over 5,000 Model 3 cars per week." [Engadget]

Chevy--as a for instance--has made 10k to 11k+ Malibus a month this year, but only just over 4k Impalas and between almost 8k and 5,400 Cruze sedans (all of which I've seen a buttload more of).

Tesla's showing robust numbers compared to other sedans--electrified or not--but it's a dying market. They need a cheap (relatively) crossover in their line if they want sustainable growth...

They have the Model 3 based “Model Y” coming, but their biggest problem right now it production is maxed out. That may be the biggest delay on ramping that up. Right now, they still have 200,000 Model 3s backordered. Out here in California, there are ads stating that they need workers now. I assume they are adding shifts. And up in Fremont, they have added makeshift canopies and tents strategically outside different parts of the building to add more work stations. They have moved some work to the Nevada Gigafactory and they are leasing space as far away as Livermore and Pleasanton (about 40 minutes away) where they are also utilizing as work stations. I would be quite curios where the Model Y is to be built if the line for the 3 doesn’t get relief.

Wednesday - The CBS piece on Apollo 11 shown last night was really pretty good. There was an equally interesting article on Neil Armstrong in this morning's Plain Dealer, with facets of the man I had never known before. Even 50 years on, I'm still learning about Apollo 11.

When I was a kid, my dad used to bring home these detailed Press Packages of each project going into orbit. This even included the radio communications being launched. Because he was part of the Dept of Defense (Quality Control for the Electronic Components of many of them), he was able to get some pretty technical pieces saved it. that they offered to the Press regarding the Missions. Occasionally, we would go out to Vandenberg and watch a launch. I wish that I had still saved the material. . As a kid of about 10, I would read it then let it go. REGRETS!

I have been a fan and student of everything James Burke [called a "futurist" on Wikipedia] forever, so I'm happy to pass along links to his--and by extension, the Brits via the BBC--work about, during, etc., the Apollo program.

"Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives quietly passed a bill requiring the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct a review into whether the Pentagon experimented with ticks and other blood-sucking insects for use as biological weapons between 1950 and 1975."

I whine all winter about the cold, so I tend to enjoy the heat of the summer, and don't let it stop me from doing things. Went for a brisk 4km walk yesterday evening in 30C and humidity.

It's never the temp for me; it's the shock of the change. Opening your front door to go out and it feels like you're checking to see if the roast is done then thinking you live in a walk-in freezer when you come back...

I almost did, but was too tired. I would agree with Loren that the back treatment is a little iffy. I will, however, as I usually do, reserve final judgement until I can see one in the flesh. Pics never seem to tell the story of any car completely.

I've been to packed Nascar events in the South where seating areas are nothing but concrete and aluminum benches as far as the eye can see. The heat at an auto race isn't an issue so long as you have enough homemade #3 Dale Sr. banners and gutterwater beer...

Hooray! The embargo has been lifted and I can finally write about the new Corvette... just like everybody--literally--else.

Some day my kids will look on my journalism career the way I look at tales of being hyped for September because that's when the new models were unveiled at the local dealership: People actually waited THAT long to find out about new cars?

[Soon it'll be "Why didn't they just livestream everything every engineer was thinking while posting pics of every time a designer drew a line?"...]

First time racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Lucas cars. The fast kids were still faster than I was but I was the fastest old slow guy (masters winner) in 2 of our 3 races. In the second race a kid I was ahead of tried a late dive-bomb into my right rear wheel spinning me out and earning me a trip through the pits for a safety check. So it goes.

Thunderbolt is technical and fast. A few turns with high pucker factor and no turn below 3rd gear. Fun to drive but not many passing zones.

Was at Lime Rock today for some of the IMSA practice and qualifying. Stupid hot and humid. Great to see the Corvette's, BMW's and Lexus having at it. Got a shot of the Corvettes while the team was at lunch. :-)

Saturday - Fifty years ago, there was one truly profound "small step" taken. I'm both proud and humbled to be a member of the race (Homo sapiens) who took that step. I just wish more of the steps that followed it had the same profundity.

Ok, now that I’ve seen those photos of real ones out on the street the C8 looks much better. The rear end doesn’t look like a Camaro when put into context with the rest of the car. No chrome wheels is a plus, and you can get it in Orange. The interior is still going to be an ergonomic mess I think. Trying to go full Lambo there, but overall I like it. I think this elevates the whole game for sub 80k sports cars.

I think the interior will work just fine; even if it is missing a pedal. I’m still on the fence about the rear end treatment. Like I’ve mentioned before, I prefer to reserve judgement until I can actually see one for real.

If I had one disappointment, it would be with whoever did the research on the most recent C&D story about option, colors and features that have never before been offered on a Corvette. They mention that memory seats were never offered. Well, my dad’s 1999 C5 has them. Factory installed. I have memory setting #2.

I think the interior will work just fine; even if it is missing a pedal. I’m still on the fence about the rear end treatment. Like I’ve mentioned before, I prefer to reserve judgement until I can actually see one for real.

If I had one disappointment, it would be with whoever did the research on the most recent C&D story about option, colors and features that have never before been offered on a Corvette. They mention that memory seats were never offered. Well, my dad’s 1999 C5 has them. Factory installed. I have memory setting #2.

Yeah, and the C6 and C7 have them as well, although maybe they meant never offered on the base model before maybe? How do you like driving that C5? I’m really considering getting one.

Yeah, and the C6 and C7 have them as well, although maybe they meant never offered on the base model before maybe? How do you like driving that C5? I’m really considering getting one.

It’s fun. It’s a manual, naturally, so that adds to the enjoyment. It’s a convertible as well. If it has any downside, it is that it’s black on black, so even with the top down, it can get a little toasty in it at times. That tends not to bother me so much when my foot is planted to the floor, and I’m redline shifting it through the gears. Not that I’ve ever done that on public roads... ahem...

UPDATE: It is just a “base” model Vette. Nothing fancy. Memory seats standard.

I had seen this a few weeks ago, and came away thinking that if this was current times, Armstrong would be under psychiatric care, not on a moon mission.

Apparently, he was something of an introvert, for the recent stories I've read. Fact is, he clearly knew what he was doing, whether he was piloting an F9F, the X-15, or a Lunar Module. He's got my respect for that, in spades.

I've been watching Apollo 11 documentaries. I had forgotten about the Soviet Luna 15, an unmanned lunar craft arriving on the moon just a couple days before Eagle. Although arrived is a nice way of putting it, crashed is the more honest assessment.

Apparently, he was something of an introvert, for the recent stories I've read. Fact is, he clearly knew what he was doing, whether he was piloting an F9F, the X-15, or a Lunar Module. He's got my respect for that, in spades.

Oh, no doubt he was completely competent. History proves that (if you believe that the lunar landing ever happened ). I'm just saying, different times then. Today, a Spockian eyebrow would be raised.

Tuesday - Last night I watched the DS9 episode, "Far Beyond the Stars" ... which has to be among the most brilliant single pieces of writing I've ever seen out of any form of Star Trek. Simply breathtaking.

We’ve made it through the third season of Stranger Things. Fun watching those kids grow as people and actors. Great writing, casting, direction and art direction. Love the layers of references to other sci-fi/horror films. We did one or two episodes at a time but the viewer numbers are crazy. Something like 40 million views the first week with 20 million full season binge watchers. I think they’re on to something! :-)

I've seen the first 4 or 5 episodes, but I pace myself. Usually not one for teenager genre shows, but exploding rats! I enjoyed the first two seasons, and this one is shaping up to be just as entertaining.

Wednesday - My best friend's sound system is back online after a lousy debacle with a leaky roof and a management company that apparently prefers to take its time in dealing with resident issues [grumble!] He's held off on the Magnepans, preferring the Revels, and I look forward to hearing whatever changes there are in his system.

Ha! Based on some of the comments, that's what you'd think I'd said. I don't hate Chevy, it's more so they haven't given me a reason to love, let alone like, Chevy. Their trucks are hideous, SUV's/crossovers are alright, and besides the Corvette, Spark/Sonic/Cruze/Malibu/Impala are pretty average with nothing spectacular. I appreciate the performance of the Camaro, but I'm not a huge fan of the styling, and who want's an ugly sports/performance car.

The one child who got my blue eyes and blond hair has shown that there's an excellent case for good automotive taste being genetic by choosing for her first car...

...a 1985 Volvo 245DL. It's four years--and a million miles--younger than my '81 and has an automatic, but silver-over-royal-blue is a gorgeous combination and one that particularly complements--and is complimented by--the Turbo wheels.

Plenty of fettling to do, but if there's one car I know inside and out, it's the 240...

Going to a friends cottage this weekend. He’s a realtor and we asked him to take us to look at a couple investment property and cottage. Pretty sure we are not going to buy a cottage or I’m going to talk my wife out of buying one.